Frequently Asked Questions

How will I be kept informed of my horse’s progress?

Ourcommunication system delivers updates via either a written note, voice message or photograph sent to your email. You will be advised when your horse arrives at the stable and once they are in training we send out weekly updates. We will notify you prior to your horse trialling, and afterwards you will receive a link to our YouTube page with footage of the trial and a voice message on their performance and future plans.

Once your horse has accepted for a race you will receive an email with the full field and form, along with other relevant information regarding the race. You also receive a text message with the race details. Prior to the race we will provide you with Darren’s thoughts on the chances of your horse. The race results will be automatically emailed to you as soon as they become available and we will endeavour to provide you with the thoughts of the jockey immediately post-race. This will be followed up with a post-race report which will confirm our thoughts on the race and where we will potentially be heading next with the horse.

You will receive notification when your horse departs for a spell but generally you will not hear from us again while your horse is spelling unless we need to report something or if Darren has decided the horse needs more time.

Can I speak to the Trainer?

Owners are welcome to speak with Darren Weir (0407 860 023) to discuss their horse’s progress. Darren can be hard to reach at times so alternatively you can call our Racing Manager Jeremy Rogers (0417 638 911), or call one of the racing team in the office (03 5334 9888).

How do I find out if there are any shares available?

There is a ‘Horses Available’ section on our website with any current horses available. Alternatively, please contact Monique Roche at the office (03) 5334 9888 who can advise you of any available shares or you can request to be notified of any future sales.

Does Darren Weir have a specific Veterinarian to tend to his horses?

Dr Andrew Cust from Ballarat Veterinary Practice (BVP) is our leading veterinarian. He is in the stable Monday to Friday and alternating weekends to attend to the welfare needs of our horses. BVP is located next door to Forest Lodge at Ballarat so it is easily accessible for any clinic needs, surgeries or after-hours emergencies. Other key veterinary members of BVP include Dr Michael Taylor who assists Andrew with the horses, and senior surgeon Dr Ian Fulton. BVP have recently formed a partnership with Southwest Equine Veterinary Group to improve the services available to our horses stabled in Warrnambool.

Why is my horse nominated for so many races?

Nominations in Victoria are free (apart from Black Type races), so Darren and Jeremy may nominate your horse for multiple races before deciding where your horse is best suited to perform well. Even after accepting for one race the decision may be made to nominate elsewhere as a back-up plan. We will always let you know prior to the day if plans are changing and we will do our best to let you know why we did not accept in particular races.

When will I find out how my horse went on trial day?

Trials/jumpouts regularly don’t finish until early afternoon, after which we will be compiling the reports. We will endeavour to have the results sent to you by late afternoon/early evening.

Can I come and view my horse at the stables or watch trackwork?

Yes, we encourage owners to come and visit their horse. Please call the office on (03) 5334 9888 to make an appointment during office hours Monday – Friday 8.30am to 4.30pm, as we are a large stable weekends with lots of runner’s nationwide we are stretched for personnel on weekends due to engagements and holidays.

Trackwork can be viewed at the “hut” beside the track with Jeremy or Simon. This will need to be arranged beforehand to ensure you’re there to watch your horse work.

For jumpouts and trials we will send you an email the day before to confirm if your horse is scheduled to trial or jumpout, the location, and an estimated time.

Can I get tickets to the races?

Once the registration is complete and the horse is named Racing Victoria will issue you an “Owners Gold Card” which can be used for entry to the racecourse. On the day your horse races, you will be entitled to ownership privileges which may include entry to member areas and mounting yard passes. Ticket allocation is at the discretion of each Racing Club and is subject to change for major racedays, such as the Spring Carnival or other major Group One events. Darren Weir Racing does not have access to additional tickets.

How often will I be informed of my horses progress?

We pride ourselves on our communication with our owners. Darren wants you to be included in your horse’s training each step of the way and he makes it his goal to update owners on their progress whilst in full-training at least once a week through various platforms including email, voice reports, photos, or phone calls.

When will my horse be registered/named?

Once you have purchased a share in your horse, you will be sent an invoice and a Horse Registration form. You must complete this form and send it back to oprah@darrenweirracing.com.au. Once the horse is fully sold and Oprah has received all of the completed registration forms back she will then contact you for naming of the horse.

How does the naming selection work?

First you will be asked to submit two names per owner within a one week time frame (date will be given through the email sent asking for names). Be sure to check http://www.racingnsw.com.au/default.aspx?s=search for current available names. Once the deadline has been reached you will then be sent out another email with everyone’s name selections attached and you will be asked to rank your top 3 favourites.

Once again you will be given 7days to vote on your top three names. For every 5% of the horse you own you will get one point next to each name you vote on. For example, an owner with 25% will count as 5 votes for the name they pick.

We end up with 60 votes across the names (providing everyone has voted) and the top 3 will get sent to Racing Australia.

If in any ownership there is an owner with 50% or more their number one name choice automatically goes to number one as they own the majority of the horse.

MAX 40 TICKETS
1 for each Owner remainder issued to guests where applicable until 40 ticket limit is reached

MAX 40 TICKETS
Owner + 1 guest until 40 ticket limit is reached

Syndicate Manager MUST collect all passes on behalf of the Syndicate

200 divided by number of runners in the race

Please note:

The above Owners' ticketing privileges exclude the four days of the Melbourne Cup Carnival.

Only the Syndicate Manager can collect passes on behalf of the Syndicate unless the Club is notified prior to raceday.

In the case of large Syndicates it is strongly recommended that the Syndicate Manager contacts the Club prior to raceday providing the names of attending Syndicate Members who are eligible to receive raceday ticketing subject to the above policy.

Owners not in attendance are unable to have their privileges transferred unless written authorisation is received by the Club prior to raceday.

Owners of horses that have been scratched are not eligible for any privileges (discretion will be used for people that have travelled long distances).

Owners gold cards will not scan for free admission over the Melbourne Cup Carnival, owners with runners names will be at each turnstiled entry point.

No special parking spaces will be available for owners over the Melbourne Cup Carnival.

How long will my horse spell for?

We will always advice you once your horse is ready for a spell. The length of spell may range from 4 weeks to 6 months depending on whether it is just for a break or due to injury/illness. A usual time for your horse to spell will be from 4 to 8 weeks as a rough guide, but their length of spell will always be determined by Darren and may change as necessary. We will contact you if Darren decides your horse needs significantly more time.

How much does it cost to have a horse in training at Darren Weir Racing?

Please call or email the office for our most current Fees Notice.

When do I receive my invoices?

Invoices are sent within the first 10 days of every month via Email.

Payment Terms:

We again remind all owners of the need to supply sufficient detail on EFT remittances to enable us to identify whom the payment is from. Your account number (shown on invoices) is the preferred reference, but you may also use the name exactly as it appears on your account.

We also remind you of our strict policy that we will not accept any horse to race where an overdue debt is outstanding on any account associated with that horse. Please ensure your accounts are settled within our trading terms.

Debt Collection

Once again we thank all our clients who settle their accounts promptly. In fairness to owners (and to ensure our cash flow is managed so as to enable us to pay our suppliers on time), we will enforce our expectation for full and prompt settlement of our accounts. This includes referring overdue accounts for external collection. We are sure you all appreciate the need for our collection policy to be conducted as professionally as possible. Also, as noted above, no horse will be allowed to race where there is an overdue account owing on that horse. In these circumstances, our training terms and conditions authorise us to notify other owners of that horse the reason why the horse is not running.

What reference should we use when making a payment?

The account ID number located on your invoice on the right hand side as shown below, please reference this number.